Associated PressDetroit Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey (3) goes to the basket against Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010, in Auburn Hills, Mich. Stuckey led the Pistons with 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in a 92-86 win over the Celtics (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
The Celtics are undoubtedly excited about Friday night’s game against the Portland Trailblazers, as they anticipate the return of Kevin Garnett to the parquet.

Even so, the Green have a boatload of questions that need answering, as is evidenced by their current 4-7 stretch.

One of those questions is Glen Davis’ maturity. Already in the midst of a tumultuous season, “Big Baby” was fined $25,000 by the league following a vulgar exchange with a fan in Detroit Wednesday.

CelticsHub.com’s Zach Lowe wrote a post Friday in which he took an angle that not many are willing to take during the Big Baby-pile on that we’re seeing. That angle:

“I understand what the league is doing here. Personally, I have no problem with Glen Davis telling a jerky fan to shut up, even if he uses unsavory language in doing so. (Glen’s biggest problem was that TV and radio broadcasts caught his comments live). For this fan, Scott Zack, to file a complaint with NBA security is ridiculous. You go to an NBA game, you spend two quarters calling a player ‘fat’ and ‘chubs,’ and then you act surprised when the player fires back at you? “

• At CelticsBlog.com, there’s a solid post documenting Paul Pierce’s recent fourth-quarter struggles. And while Greg Payne isn’t putting the team’s troubles directly onto the shoulders of The Truth, it’s hard not to see a direct correlation.

“In the eight games Pierce has played since returning from injury … , he's averaged a very productive 20.25 points per game. However, over that same stretch he's averaging just 3.25 points per game in the fourth quarter, meaning 17 of Pierce's 20.25 points have been scored over the course of the first three quarters (84 percent). He's also been held scoreless three times over this stretch …”

• ESPNBoston.com’s Chris Forsberg handed out some midseason grades to the Celtics, both as a team and for individuals, and the results aren’t really that surprising.

As a team, the Celtics earned an “incomplete,” with only three players – Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins receiving an “A.” Shelden Williams received the lowest grade on the team, checking in with a “D.”